Why is my guinea pig's leg hanging and she can't walk? Broken?

Oh no, poor Cupcake! If you feel that she has broken her leg, then yes I would take her into a vet immediately. This will be very painful for her, and she will need treatment for the pain and to ensure her foot heals properly. I would not make a cast for her, treatment for anything broken should only be done by a vet to make sure it's done correctly. As for a wheelchair, that likely be needed for a broken foot. Please take Cupcake into a vet now.

I would endeavour to get her sn emergency appointment tonight to get some pain relief as I imagine she will be sore. However if you cannot I would move her into a smaller area with a soft material on the floor and no loose bedding or objects thst she could catch herself on. Feed and water as usual. Treatment will vary depending on severity of injury, it may be medicine or could be surgery if the leg is broken. Again cost will vary massively depending on the injury.

Thanks for reaching out about Pepper. Hopefully by now you have seen the veterinarian and things are positive and/or manageable. A radiographs is recommended to have assessed the condition. Good luck.

I'm so sorry about Pig. Ideally he needs to see a vet as he may have a spinal cord lesion, pelvic fracture or other fracture. He may have a collapsed disc or broken vertebra. Spinal cord lesions may not always start with full paralysis. He needs to be kept fairly quiet to help allow for healing but knowing the extent of his injury will help determine if he can recover. He also may need pain medication which is only available by a prescription from the vet. After exam the vet may likely recomend radiographs to look for the lesion. The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment started the better his chance of recovery.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. So sorry this happened to Jingle. Are you sure the paralysis is related to the fall? Dragging the back legs can be a sign of scurvy which is a vitamin C deficiency. Very common in guinea pigs if they are not on a supplement. Does he take a vitamin C supplement? If not, he needs about 50mg per day and you will usually see improvement in a week or so. I suggest this one: ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Science-Vitamin-Supplement-Count/dp/B00E0HQA7G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522060364&sr=8-1&keywords=oxbow+vitamin+c ) It's common for injury to the spine, pelvis, or limbs to result in hind leg paralysis. Sometimes administering corticosteroids can help the guinea pig heal. You will need to get these steroids from your vet. Back injuries can occur very easily occur in guinea pigs. A twist the wrong way while playing or a fall can fracture the pelvis or some vertebra. X-rays would detect these conditions. Does he have feeling in the feet if they are pinched? The sporozoan parasite, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, is yet another possibility. It is treated with anti-parasitic medications, such as febendazole. Some bacterial infections can also result in paralysis. There are no tests to detect these. Some vets simply treat with febendazole and a safe antibiotic in case these conditions are to blame. You may want to speak to your vet about that possibility. Did you use a vet that is used to treating guinea pigs? If not, I suggest you find one. Guinea pigs are not small dogs or cats, they are different and have different conditions/diseases. A vet that is not used to treating them may not know what to look for or how to treat them. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Since Chompie is not using her hind leg and if you believe it may be broken, I recommend having her seen by a veterinarian. Hamsters often hide any signs of pain since they are prey species. Your veterinarian will be able to closely examine Chompie and may recommend x-rays to look for evidence of a fracture. Other possible causes include neurologic diseases that are making the leg nonfunctional. Your veterinarian may recommend splinting the leg if it is fractured, or may recommend pain medications if indicated. I hope this is helpful!

He probably got his leg injured, possibly from the cage, you will need to take him to the vet to get it checked and treated, it's possible that it is a minor injury but it could also be severe and the leg might need to be amputated.